United Nations marks International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) 2010

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) recognizes the role that anti-gay and anti-trans laws and cultural attitudes play in the global spread of HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS posted the statement and video on its site this morning:

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia. Homophobia is considered one of the main obstacles in implementing HIV prevention strategies. Of the 192 member states of the United Nations, 85 have laws that still criminalize homosexual behaviour and, in some of these countries, conviction can even result in the death penalty.

Speaking on the occasion, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said, “I urge all governments to take steps to eliminate stigma and discrimination faced by men who have sex with men, lesbians and transgender populations. They must also create social and legal environments that ensure respect for human rights and enable universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.”

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• New HIV infections increasing among homosexuals (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Europe is getting ready to mark the International Day against Homophobia (pinkbananaworld.com)
• New York Times Examines Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Sidibe Calls For A 'Prevention Revolution' To Fight HIV/AIDS (medicalnewstoday.com)
• On this International Day Against Homophobia and Trans-phobia (myjourneywithaids.wordpress.com)

This Queer Little Planet: New UN General Assembly Pres. is a Homophobe

In the wake of the November elections, the world celebrated Barack Obama's victory more loudly and with more passion than we did at home. International leaders were so relieved to be rid of W, and the insanity of his reign, that Obama was universally greeted as a conquering hero.

Even Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez said yesterday in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, “It doesn’t smell of sulfur here anymore, it’s gone. It smells of something else — it’s hope.” In his UN address in 2006, Chavez had called George W. Bush "the Devil".

So WTF is up with the United Nations General Assembly? At a time when so many countries are light years ahead of the US in protecting the rights and dignity of all people, including LGBT people, why the hell did the UN elect a religious extremist, Ali Abdussalam Treki, as it leader?

Have they forgotten where fundamentalist extremism leads? It causes people to fly planes into buildings, attack the wrong country in retaliation, round up, torture and execute suspected homosexuals, show up at political rallies with weapons and lynch government census workers.  

Pink News reports:

The newly-installed president of the United Nations General Assembly, Ali Abdussalam Treki, has said that homosexuality is "not really acceptable". Treki, who is the Libyan secretary of African Union Affairs, opened the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly Friday with a press conference.

One question concerned the UN resolution which calls for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality. In reply, Treki said: "That matter is very sensitive, very touchy. As a Muslim, I am not in favour of it . . . it is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favour of this matter at all. I think it's not really acceptable by our religion, our tradition.

“It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy . . . I think it is not,” he added.

The ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs committee, Florida's Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, told On Top Magazine: "The anti-gay bigotry spewed by this Qaddafi shill demonstrates once again that the UN has been hijacked by advocates of hate and intolerance."